Transducers convert signals from one domain to another and are often used in sensors. One common sensor seen in everyday life is a thermometer. Various transducers exist that serve as thermometers by transducing temperature signals into electrical signals.
Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based sensors include a family of transducers produced using micromachining techniques. MEMS gather information from the environment by measuring the change of physical state in the transducer and transferring the signal to processing electronics that are connected to the MEMS sensor. MEMS devices may be manufactured using micromachining fabrication techniques similar to those used for integrated circuits.
Further, temperature is often measured in numerous applications. Understanding temperature and how temperature changes can be useful for healthcare and diagnostics of humans and animals or for reliability and system health monitoring in manufacturing or system operation, for example. In a specific example, monitoring the temperature of a patient may be useful to healthcare professionals while monitoring metabolic responses to infection, disease, and injury. Many varieties of thermometer systems exist for use in different environments while addressing specific applications.
Such varied applications provide numerous challenges in terms of power supply, signal measurement and transmission, robustness, device life span, device positioning, and other areas, for example. Inventive concepts are desired in order to increase the usefulness and number of applications for thermometers.